Warm winter forecasts setback for Putin

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Europe is heading towards an unusually warm winter. For Vladimir Putin, the predictions were said to be disappointing.

Next winter is likely to be much warmer than usual, according to the latest long-term forecasts of the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring programme. But first a serious cold snap is expected, possibly in December.

Perhaps this year’s winter weather plays a greater political role than ever. Europeans fear record electricity bills and governments are struggling to avoid power rationing and blackouts due to the throttling of Russian gas flows.

– This year there is undoubtedly a geopolitical interest in this issue, says Copernicus Director Carlo Bontempo.

But for Vladimir Putin, the warm forecast is unlikely to be good news.

According to analysts, the Russian president is hoping to freeze the winter months so that the choking gas can properly affect Europe — and hopefully cracks in European resolve regarding support for Ukraine.

According to Copernicus, unusually warm winters explain the global weather phenomenon La Niña.

We know that during the La Niña year, the latter part of the European winter tends to favor westerly winds, so it will be warm and humid, says Bontempo.